Reduction Surgery

Osseous, which is often called gingivectomy or pocket reduction surgery, is a type of surgery that is done to get to the root of the tooth in order to remove any bacteria or tartar.

Osseous surgery will be used in order to remove pockets that may form in the bone around the teeth or to reshape any deformities in the bone. When a patient has an advanced case of periodontal disease, it is common to need osseous surgery. Periodontal disease is caused by these pockets because of bacteria that is within them. Osseous surgery will be done in order to eliminate or at least reduce these pockets in an effort to remove periodontal disease. This is a surgical procedure, but the majority of people that have had the procedure done feel that it is more like a deep cleaning rather than a surgery. The goals of having osseous surgery include:

Preventing the Loss of Bone in the Jaw

The response that the immune system has to periodontal disease can lead to bone deterioration in the jaw, which can lead to teeth falling out in the affected area. Osseous surgery will help to stop the disease before it gets to the point of bone loss.

Reducing the Spread of Bacteria

When there is a disease-causing bacteria in a person’s mouth, it is not just contained to the mouth, it can spread into other areas of the body. If the bacteria spreads, it can cause other life-threatening diseases, such as respiratory or heart disease. Removing the bacteria and tartar from the roots of the teeth can help to eliminate the disease and reduce the risk of the bacteria spreading.

Get Back Your Smile

Periodontal disease will often rot teeth, turn gums brown, and leave ridge indentations. This makes people self-conscious about their smile and leaves them feeling depressed. When osseous surgery is used, the amount of bacteria and disease can be reduced allowing your mouth to look as it had before the disease, making those that have the surgery more confident in themselves and their smile.

Helps to Allow Proper Home Care

As the pockets get larger, it can be difficult to brush and floss teeth properly. Being able to brush and floss teeth properly on a regular basis is important to the health of your teeth and gums. Osseous surgery will help to reduce the size of the pockets making it easy to take proper care of your teeth from home.

What is Involved in the Surgery?

Local anesthesia will first be used in order to numb the area before surgery is done. Then, our Periodontist will carefully cut around each of the teeth within the area that is affected. This will allow the periodontist access to the bones, roots, and teeth behind the gums. The roots will be thoroughly cleaned through a process of scaling and some of the bone will be removed in order to return the jaw bone to its original look. If there are large defects, the bone grafting may be necessary in order to repair the defects.

The gums will then be placed back over the bone and secured with sutures. A periodontal pack, or bandage will be placed over the surgical area. Pain medication is typically prescribed for pain, and a mouth rinse that contains chlorhexidine is prescribed to help keep the area clean.

There could be some swelling and possible bleeding after the surgery, which is normal and is not a cause for alarm. Ice should be placed on the outside of the affected area to help reduce the swelling. If the area is swelling or bleeding excessively, you should contact our office immediately. In order to ensure that the area heals properly and does not become infected, it is extremely important for the patient to follow a strict maintenance program after the procedure.

Gingivectomy

If a patient has gums that are thick and large, they can cover part of the teeth which can make them look small. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as a side effect to a medication or gum disease inflammation. A gingivectomy is a procedure that will remove the excess tissue of the gums.

There are a number of reasons a patient will have a gingivectomy, including:

Making the teeth look more normal. When the gums are covering a portion of the teeth, they do not look proportional to a person’s mouth.

Helping with the health of the bone and gums. A gingivectomy will help to shrink gum pockets allowing for less room for a bacteria to gather.

The Procedure will Consist of:

A local anesthetic will be used. A scalpel, and possibly a rotary blade, will be used in order to remove the excess skin. Sutures are usually not needed for this procedure. Pain medication may be prescribed following this procedure. A follow-up appointment will be needed in order to ensure the area is healing properly.